YOUNGSTOWN — The Mahoning County commissioners on Thursday approved a pay increase for Pat Ginnetti in his position as county sanitary engineer.

Audrey Tills, county administrator, said his pay increases from $3,000 per month to $3,690 per month.

She said the new pay rate is a “catch-up” because Ginnetti’s $3,000 pay rate as sanitary engineer was set in 2015.

She also said the pay increase bring’s Ginnetti’s pay “in line with what we are doing with our other positions.” She clarified later she was talking about paying Ginnetti fairly in comparison to other administrative staff.

Ginnetti is the elected Mahoning County engineer, the position at the head of the county highway engineer’s office.

But the commissioners also appointed him in 2013 to serve as sanitary engineer — as the head of the county department that operates county-owned sanitary sewers in Mahoning County. The Sanitary Engineer’s Office also operates the county’s Jackson Milton Water District.

During Thursday’s meeting, Ginnetti announced that the next phase of the Western Reserve sanitary sewer project will begin Feb. 28 and continue through about April 28 between Southern Boulevard and South Avenue.

Ginnetti told the commissioners that the entire section will not be closed at the same time. The first section will be Southern Boulevard to Indian Creek Road from Feb. 14 to March 3.

The second phase will be Indian Creek Drive to Crossroads Drive, from March 6 to March 24. Phase 3 will be from Crossroads Drive to South Avenue, March 27 to April 28.

“During all of these closures, all local traffic will be promoted in and out of their residences and businesses, and at 5:30 p.m., the entire road will be opened back up, either two lanes or one lane controlled with signals,” Ginnetti said.